DMLab Colchester - April: Jam and Chat!

Come along and try out some electronic instruments and music-making apps like Thumbjam, as we improvise together through various games and strategies! Suitable for everyone, including complete beginners and experienced musicians who would like to expand their toolkit! We will have plenty of equipment for you to use, but you are very welcome to bring your own electronic instruments. (Please bear in mind that louder acoustic instruments, e.g. brass or acoustic drum kits are unfortunately not suitable on this occasion to help us keep the volume at the right level).
We'll also have time for group discussion and brainstorming. Perhaps you have a particular problem you are looking to solve, like making your setup more accessible or perhaps you're looking for general tips around creating music. We'd love to hear from you, so just let us know if there's anything particular you would like to chat about with the group and we will make sure to allow time to include this.
If the discussion part doesn't feel like your thing, you will be welcome to carry on playing the instruments/ iPads with headphones instead.

Each month the community bring their musicality, ideas, innovations, dreams, specific access needs and technical know-how. From this, amazing new musical instruments and projects will be conceived and developed. Each session will be different, from presentations to jam sessions, hack-a-thons to workshops, all of which will be led by the community.

These friendly get togethers are about coming up with, building and sharing new projects and music. New people are always welcome to join and be part of making music accessible.

DMLab is for musicians and makers. We use the word disabled as we are disabled-led however you do not need to identify as disabled to join us. Everyone is welcome and we will be led by our members who experience access barriers, including people who are Deaf, Blind, Disabled, or who have a condition, impairment or chronic illness.

DMLab Colchester takes place at Firstsite, Colchester. There is step-free, level access throughout the building and 4 accessible parking spaces are available outside the main entrance on a first come, first served basis. There is also an additional drop-off area.
Assistance dogs are welcome, and there is a hearing loops is available. There are several disabled access toilets in the building, and there will be seating available at the event.
There will be plenty of opportunity to take breaks and you are very welcome to attend for the length of time that works for you.
There is space to let us know of any specific access needs when you book. Alternatively, please get in touch if you would like to to discuss further or need any more information at: [email protected]
Further details about venue accessibility can be found on the Firstsite website.

We will have at least one 5-10 minute break in the middle of the 2 hour session. There will be some time listening to presentations and some time working individually and in small groups. You are very welcome to attend this session flexibly in a way that works for you.

DMLab aims to address access barriers to music-making relating to disability. We have our key accessibility information listed on our Eventbrite page, but please get in touch with [email protected] if you have any queries relating to access, or if there are any adjustments we can make for you to attend.

DMLab Colchester is an exciting collaboration between CLIP and Drake Music. For the next three years, from November 2025, we'll host monthly meet ups bringing together an inclusive community of makers and musicians on a regular basis, to support the development of new accessible musical instruments.

DMLab Colchester is an inclusive, community-led space for musicians and creative technologists, disabled and nondisabled, to create, hack instruments, jam & explore new ways to make music. All experience levels are welcome. If you have any questions please contact [email protected].

Participants are welcome to bring their own laptop if they wish. Please note that this project is aimed at people age 18 and over, and all experience levels are welcome.

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